Life of a Shinobi
by RedHerring86
Summary: Dean and Sam are earthbenders, captured by Castiel, an airbender, after a failed attack on his village. Dean and Sam must now learn to live in the village they hate after Castiel refuses to let them go. No slash, AU
1. Chapter 1

**_Some things you should know: _**

**_This story is basically a mix of Supernatural_**, _**Avatar the Last Airbender, and Naruto. I've only taken characters from Supernatural. From Avatar I took the idea of people being able to bend one of the four elements (water, earth, fire, air)**__**; the avatar doesn't exist. I took the political system of this AU from Naruto; i.e. the shinobi villages and whatnot.  
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**_So basically, if you've seen either of these other two shows, you might be able to imagine this world a little better. However, if you haven't seen them, that's perfectly okay. Because I'm taking random elements from each of the stories, I'll explain everything. So don't feel like you can't read it because you don't know the other shows._**

**_That being said, please notify me if something I've written doesn't make sense. Sometimes when I'm writing I assume people will know what I'm talking about. So if you read something that doesn't make sense, or have any questions about the layout of this world, please tell me!_**

**_One vocab term you should know:_**

**_Shinobi: A bender trained in the art of combat._**

**_Now that I've rambled long enough, enjoy the story!  
><em>**

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><p>The signal was given and they all made their move. Reaching behind him, Dean grabbed the ninjatō from his back, pulling it from its sheath. He swung himself down and crashed into a window, entering the room. Immediately he grabbed ahold of the closest person, covering his mouth with one hand and slitting his throat with the ninjatō in the other. He was able to take down another shinobi by stabbing him in the side, in a vital point, before the others in the room got over their initial surprise and attacked. It only made it easier that they came at him. He swiftly cut down two more shinobi that charged at him before they figured getting close to him was a bad move. A torrent of air was sent at him, which he quickly dodged. He threw his ninjatō at his opponent, who was able to dodge it with ease. Dean didn't expect it to hit, it wasn't a throwing tool, but it served its purpose. The moment the Air shinobi became distracted by the thrown weapon, Dean quickly threw the stone dagger from a sheath on his leg. It tore into the shinobi's neck, and he fell to the ground immediately. With a flick of his wrist, the stone dagger sailed back into his hands. He threw it at his next victim, who dodged it and sent a blast of air at him. He dove out of the way of the blast then flicked his wrist once more. The stone dagger dislodged itself from the wall and came zooming back to it's owner. However, it didn't make it that far; Dean's opponent fell to the ground, the dagger protruding from his back.<p>

When the last body hit the floor, Dean scanned the room for the stolen plans. Noticing a table with multiple scrolls on it, he shuffled through them. He found the scroll detailing his village's security plans and took his lighter out from his leg-pouch.

"Hey, I got it," he said to Gordon, destroying the scroll with fire.

"That was easy," Gordon remarked callously.

"Don't get cocky. These were just Intel shinobi." Their success was a mixture of Intel shinobi not specializing in combat and that they were taken by surprise.

"I'm aware. And you're the last person to lecture me on getting cocky, Winchester."

Dean dropped the flaming scroll on the pile of other scrolls, destroying as much of their information as he could. He hoped that the fire from that would be large enough to burn the whole room down, erasing their presence. The fire would also be a good distraction for them to make their escape. Walking over to his ninjatō on the floor, he picked it up and wiped the blood clean with his sleeve. Sheathing it, he flicked his wrist and his stone dagger pried itself from the dead body and flew into his hand. Reinserting into the small sheath on his leg, he felt a small satisfaction that he didn't lose any of his weapons.

He was about to call the mission a success when a soft sniffle came from behind. Walking slowly into the room was a boy, no older than 10, holding a dagger in his shaking hand. Tears were streaming down his face as he looked around the room at all the bodies.

"Stupid boy," Gordon remarked, walking over to the kid. The kid's eyes widened and he tried to back away from Gordon, but tripped over his own feet. He fell to the ground, any courage he held previously had vanished; pure fear was written across his face. Gordon pulled the ninjatō from the sheath on his back and swung his arm down to make the final blow.

Dean quickly caught the arm as it descended. "The hell are you doing?"

Annoyance flashed in the eyes of the man before him. "Our mission. We were told to kill everyone in the building. There are no exceptions."

"He's just a kid."

"Orders are orders. Now release me."

Dean gritted his teeth. "There's no honor in killing a kid. Leave him and lets move on. He's no threat to us."

"Dean. Emotions must be set aside during missions, you know this. There is a purpose behind our orders, and not following them could lead to the harm of our village or nation. Tell me, where is your honor then?"

"...I'll say this one more time. Leave the boy." Gordon didn't respond, only continued to look at Dean with eyes of cold indifference. Dean's eyebrows furrowed together as his anger grew. "If you don't sheath your weapon, we're going to have a problem. The enemy should already be on their way here; we don't have time for a problem."

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><p>Castiel peered through the binoculars at the intruders on the top of a building. He gripped them tight in anger and grief as he beheld the scene before him. These two shinobi killed everyone in the room. What confused him was what they were still doing there. One was holding the weapon hand of the other... Were they fighting? But why... Scanning the rest of the room he saw no one left alive.<p>

"Take them out."

* * *

><p>Dean was finally able to garner a response from his comrade.<p>

"You would jeopardize the mission for this Air Nation underling?" he spat.

"This is between us and the Air shinobi. He's not a shinobi, and he's not old enough to defend himself."

"He will grow to be one, though. It's only a matter of years before he is sent out on missions."

"You can kill him then. But for now... The boy lives. We still have time to complete the mission and get out of here. Drop it."

Now Gordon was truly angry. "You ask me to go against the word of the Tsuchikage? Dean you-"

He was unable to finish his sentence. Faster than Dean could even see, a kunai knife tore into Gordon's back, piercing the heart on the other side. Before his body hit the floor, Dean immediately pulled back in attempts to evade a similar fate. His reaction was quick, but not quick enough. Another kunai with unbelievable speed bore into his arm. He let out a scream of pain as he could feel the knife dig deep into his upper right arm. He cursed his slow reaction, yet in the back of his mind he knew they had aimed at a vital point, and that he was lucky to be alive. He dodged to the floor as fast as he could, then heard another whoosh above him. He looked up and saw another kunai sticking out from the wall. His eyes widened when he saw the paper bomb attached to it.

_The kid!_

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><p>Castiel observed the scene as it played out. The first enemy was taken down immediately, they had the element of surprise for him. The second was hit in the arm with one of their blades, but was still alive. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a paper bomb being lit, then thrown attached to a kunai. Just as it left the Air shinobi's hand, the intruder dropped to the ground, revealing a child huddled on the ground. Castiel's eyes widened with shock.<p>

"Stop the attack! There's a child in there!" But it was already too late. Castiel's heart stopped as he watched the knife hit the wall, the paper bomb seconds away from exploding.

* * *

><p>Dean sprang across the floor and pulled the kid as close as he could in attempts to shield him. With a swoop of his arm, the rocks from his leg pouch came flying out and began forming a make-shift shield between him and the bomb. But there wasn't enough time. The unfinished shield was able to absorb a good portion of the blast but not all of it. He was thrown across the room from the force of the explosion, keeping a strong hold on the kid. He attempted to get up but immediately dropped to the ground with a gasp of pain. He was undoubtedly burned in several areas. Panting he looked to the kunai still in his arm. It was bleeding badly but he would only loose blood at a quicker rate if he took it out. He could still use it, but it hurt like hell.<p>

He needed to get out of the building though. Not only was it on fire, but reinforcements were bound to show up at any moment. He picked up the kid with his good arm and jumped out the window. Gritting his teeth, he used his injured arm to raise a section of the earth below. He stumbled a landing onto the raised platform and then lowered them to the ground as quick as he could without hurting them. With that he let go of the boy, there was no threat to him anymore. The explosion itself should have been enough to rile all the villagers. If he didn't get out of here immediately he would be done for.

Where the hell was Sam? He and Andy were supposed to be keeping a lookout for enemy attacks. Sam wasn't stupid though. When he saw the explosion he would know to get out. His best option was to meet up with him at the rendezvous spot and get the hell out of the Air Nation.

So he ran. There were several alarmed villagers that shrieked in surprise at seeing him, but none of them were shinobi. Suddenly from the corner of his eye he saw a man running parallel to him on the rooftop. He confirmed he was a bender when a torrent of wind was sent at him. He easily deflected the attack, raising a shield from the ground. Raising his palm, he sent dust particles from the earth into the air, creating a smoke screen. He knew the airbender would be able to blow it away quickly, yet all he needed was a second to escape. With a stomp of his foot and the push of his hand, a hole formed in the ground. He jumped in it quickly and covered it up.

He began to make a cave heading for the outside of the city. Digging underground was a last resort technique for a reason, however. Not only did it take a lot of energy to do, but his time spent underground was limited. There wasn't enough air for him to be down there for more than a couple minutes while exerting this much energy, and still function properly. Using a good portion of his strength, he burrowed his way out. There wasn't a whole lot of room to put the earth he was moving aside; the ground was compact enough as it was. He only hoped he wasn't cracking the surface, leaving a trail to where he was.

Annoyed by the stifling confines his shoes brought, he placed his hand on the wall of the tunnel and focused. His feet were better able to pick up the vibrations of the earth, but his hand wasn't a bad substitute. Satisfied he was far enough away from the village, he pushed the ground upwards. As he surfaced he took a deep, desperate breath of the fresh air he was previously denied. Panting from exertion, he slumped against a tree to catch his breath, grimacing as it made contact with some of his burns. He was in bad shape and he knew it. With a final deep breath, he picked himself up and quickly began making his way to the rendezvous spot.

A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw Sam there waiting for him. However, his initial relief was dampened by grim realization. When Sam saw him, his brothers eyes widened with shock.

"Where's Andy?" Dean asked, already knowing the answer.

"They pulled a sneak attack from behind. Andy didn't make it." Sam looked down sadly. But now was no time to dwell on such things. He looked up to his brother, assessing his injuries. "God, Dean are you alright?"

"Never better," he panted out. He reached down to grab his backpack from the ground; Sam must have retrieved them while he was tunneling his way out.

Dean knew that Sam would be able to see through that one in an instant. He was right. He didn't object when Sam came over and put his uninjured arm around his Sasquatch shoulders so Sam could support some of his weight; Dean knew he was in bad shape.

"Let's just get the hell out of here."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Sam agreed. "The airbenders aren't going to let us get away that easy."

An exhausted chuckle escaped Dean. "You call that easy?"

"Right...Sorry."

"Just make sure to stay under the cover of the trees, they have all of the sky to look for us."

"I know." He cast a worried eye to his brother. "What happened?"

"Got caught in a paper bomb. Then I had to tunnel my way out of the village."

Sam looked at him angrily. "A tunnel? Damn it Dean, that was reckless."

"Skip the lecture Sam," he snapped back.

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><p>Castiel clutched his glider as he flew thorugh the woods, scanning for the Earth shinobi. Bending the air underneath his glider became second nature to him by the age of 12, so he didn't even have to think about it as he weaved his way through the trees. Finally spotting the Air shinobi that gave him the signal, he quickly landed on the tree branch next to him.<p>

"Update?" he asked, getting directly to the point.

"There's two Earth shinobi directly ahead of us heading toward the Earth Nation. I've already sent out an ambush squad to take care of them."

"...No."

His comrade startled. "But-"

"Capture them. I want them alive."

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><p><strong><em>This is just the prologue to the story, I was curious to see how many people would be interested in it. So please review, let me know if this is something I should continue to work on! Also, again, let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!<br>_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey thank you so much for all the reviews! I really appreciated them =) So we're going a little back in time for this chapter and the next, but worry not, I'll get back to what was happening soon.**_

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><p>A ten year old Dean fell flat on his ass with an "Omph."<p>

"Gotta be quicker than that Dean," his father criticized. Taking a breath, Dean got back on his feet and returned to his fighting stance. He spread his feet, digging them into the ground. He raised his right hand just below eye level, keeping his palm flat towards his father, arm slightly extended. His left arm was bent so his hand was below his right elbow, palm facing down towards the ground.

"Bend your knees, Dean. Earthbenders get their power from the ground, the closer you can get to it the better."

Dean thought about that for a moment and looked down to his stance. He then spread his feet wider and bent his knees to an awkward extent. John chuckled at his son's new stance, but said nothing.

"Ready?" he asked Dean, who replied with a firm nod. His father rushed at him from across the field, raising a rock from the ground and pushing it at him. Dean stomped his foot to the ground, sending a chunk of the earth into the air. He then thrust his fist forward, pushing the rock into the one John sent at him. They collided with a crash, spreading dirt and debris. Quickly glancing around to find his father, his eyes widened as he spotted him to his side. Fumbling to adjust to the new angle his father was attacking him from, he wasn't ready when a rock hit him in the chest. He grunted as his back hit the ground, frustration coursing through him as he lost again.

John walked over to his son and offered a hand, helping Dean back to his feet. "What went wrong?" he quizzed, clearly knowing the answer.

"You attacked me from the side! I couldn't turn to face you quick enough."

"And why was that?"

Dean thought about it. "I wasn't fast enough?" he guessed.

"That, and your stance was too low."

"But you said-" Dean blurted before his father interrupted him.

"-the lower to the ground you get the more power you have. This is true, but, when you heighten one ability, you sacrifice another. With your stance you gained power, endurance. It would have been hard to knock you over if I attacked you from the front. But what did you sacrifice?"

"...My speed?"

"Not exactly. You sacrificed your flexibility. By rooting yourself to the ground you gave up the ability to readily move."

"So... Which is better?"

John chucked at the statement. "You have to find a balance. One is not better than the other. Sometimes you'll want power, others flexibility. Depends on your opponent. What do you think you'll need if you fight an airbender?"

Concentration written across his face, Dean seriously considered the question. "Flexibility."

John smiled as his son got the answer right. "That's right. Airbenders are tricky bastards. They rely on speed and agility, always looking for the right angle to take you down from."

"What do we rely on?"

"Earthbenders rely on endurance and strength. Rock is a stubborn element. You have to be strong in mind and body to move it. We face our opponents head-on. A real man doesn't hide behind tricks. Now, what else did you do wrong?"

Recalling the fight, Dean answered, "I lost track of where you were."

"Exactly," John smiled, proud of his son's ability to recognize his mistakes. "When I sent the first boulder at you, all of your concentration went to my attack. Always keep track of your opponent. Why do we practice without our shoes on?"

"So we can feel the vibrations in the earth," Dean recited the past lesson.

"And did you do that?"

Dean bowed his head in shame. "No, sir."

"Feel the movements of your opponent so you can make a quick counterstrike. Now let's try again. Get into your stance."

Dean did so, correcting his previous stance. He shot his father a questioning look, asking him if it was right. When John nodded in approval, he beamed with pride. As soon as John entered his stance, the pride was replaced by concentration.

John pulled the exact same move, attacking him from the front while moving to the side. But this time Dean was ready. Dean stomped on the ground to push the earth into the air, sending it at the first boulder. When John sent the second at him he ducked, and in one fluid motion raised his hands then pushed, sending an attack at his father. John quickly raised his hands, and a wall of earth sprouted from the ground to protect him. Dean's eyes widened with shock as a chunk of the wall flew at him. Creating a wedge with his outstretched arms, he split the oncoming rock into two as it hit him, harmlessly sending each half to his sides.

Thrusting his heel into the ground, Dean elevated the ground underneath one of his fathers feet, attempting to knock him off balance. John sidestepped the attack and twisted his foot into the earth, causing rock to form around Dean's foot, trapping it to the ground. When Dean lost his balance because of this, his other foot moved to steady him. As soon as it touched the ground, rock formed around it as well. His father suddenly appeared before him, open palm pointed at his neck.

The duel was done. In such a position, the attacker is showing his opponent he had the kill stroke, and therefore has won.

After a moment his father released him, and he stumbled back, panting from the exertion.

"That's enough practice for today. If we're late for dinner your mom will kill me."

They walked down from the rocky terrain and back into the village walls.

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><p>"Mom!" the boy exclaimed, running toward her. She smiled and caught him in a hug.<p>

"How was your earthbending lesson?"

"Good! I almost beat Dad once!" he exclaimed.

Mary looked up and shared a smiled with her husband, knowing that he let Dean think it was a close match.

"You'll get him next time," she encouraged. She frowned slightly when she noticed Dean's shirt was ripped. "Dean, honey, what happened to your shirt?" Then she noticed the forming bruise on his arm.

Dean looked down, just noticing the tear himself. "A rock hit me there," he shrugged.

John rubbed his hand over his face, already knowing he was in trouble. When Dean noticed her troubled expression, he moved to soothe her.

"S'okay Mom, I'm strong. Just like the earth! Right Dad?"

"That's right Dean," his father praised.

"Honey, why don't you go wash up for dinner. Leave your shirt on the table, I'll sew it later."

"Okay Mom."

When Dean sprinted off to do as he was told, Mary turned to face her husband, anger in her eyes.

"John Winchester you are far to hard on him. Throwing rocks at him? You can't teach him to earthbend without hitting him?"

"It's good for him Mary. He needs to be strong if he's going to look after this family someday. Besides, it's not like I threw them at him that hard."

"He's just a boy!"

"He's ten years old now. It's time for him to start learning to become a man."

"Dad!" a squeaky voice called out. John looked to the source to find Sam, his youngest, running towards him. His son ran at him and John scooped him up in his arms. "Dad, guess what?"

"What?" he repeated in the excited voice reserved only for children.

"I lifted a rock today! I earthbended!"

John looked to surprise at his wife, silently asking for confirmation. When Mary smiled and nodded, John beamed at his son.

"That's great Sammy!"

"Can I come with you and Dean now?" he questioned hopefully.

"Maybe in a little while Sammy, but not now."

Sam's bottom lip jutted out in a pout. That's when John noticed two men walking toward the direction of his house. Recognizing them as part of the village's ANBU Black-Ops division, he turned to Mary and handed Sam over to her.

"Mary, take Sammy inside."

Mary looked to the two approaching men and sighed. While John was away on his mission she would never hear the end of it from Dean, who would be bouncing off the walls waiting for his next lesson.

Missions were a normal occurrence for the members of their village, for they belonged to no ordinary village. In Lawrence, their main objective was to raise shinobi: benders skilled in the art of combat. Missions assigned would vary from doing manual labour to acting as escorts, gathering secret information, retrieving stolen items, and carrying out assassinations. Besides that, it was a village just like any other. While missions were their top priority, the people of the village had day jobs. Mary and John were animal farmers, living in the outskirts of the town.

Grabbing their son, she took him inside the house and shut the door.

"Go find your brother and wash up for dinner, okay?"

"Okay Mommy!"

She walked into the kitchen and began cutting carrots for their dinner. Setting the carrots down on the table, Mary walked over to the window and looked out, doing her best to remain unseen by her husband or the other mission members. She worried about John and his missions. Her husband was a very skilled shinobi, but because he belonged to the ANBU Black-Ops division, his missions were of the most dangerous nature and always held the threat of death. She would never complain though; this was John's duty to their village and their nation.

A large envelope was handed over to John, who took a moment to leaf through it. After exchanging a few more words, the two men left and John walked back into the house. Mary quickly returned to making dinner. She knew John didn't like to see her worry.

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><p>Walking into their room that night, Mary found John sitting on the bed, burning the envelope with the details of his mission over a candle.<p>

"Already memorized the mission? Do I get to know anything about it?"

John chuckled. "You know damn well I can't tell you my missions."

She did. But she was always able to wrangle a small detail from her husband. She sat down on the bed next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Please," she asked, kissing his shoulder. "It makes me feel better if I know something about what you're getting into."

John smiled as he looked at his wife. God, she was so beautiful.

"It's a recon mission on the Fire Nation."

"Hmmm... How did Dean's lesson go today?"

"You should see him Mary, the kid's a natural," he beamed with pride. "He'll be better than me someday."

"Dean has always been a quick learner."

"He is," John agreed. "He doesn't think things through very well, though. Likes to go head first into a fight. Maybe when I'm gone you could try to teach him some self control? Run through some scenarios with him?"

"I'll do that. Sammy can sit in too now."

"He won't understand it as much as Dean but I suppose it'll be good to have him start early. He really bended today, huh?"

Mary chuckled, smiling fondly over the memory. "He was so excited. He said he gets to be like Dean now."

John laughed at that and put his arm around Mary, pulling her closer to him.

"When do you leave for the mission?"

"Tomorrow morning. Bright and early."

Before Mary could respond there was a loud thud from a nearby room. Both parents gave a sigh; Dean and Sam were up again.

"I swear the moment I tell them it's time for bed they get a second wind of energy," Mary said, giving a tired smile as she started to get up.

John put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I got it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I wanted to see them before I left anyway." He kissed her on her forehead and left.

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><p>Dean walked beside his father as they walked through the village. Despite his excitement, he kept as passive a demeanor as he could; Dad didn't like it when he overreacted, said a shinobi should have control over his emotions. John had asked Dean specifically go with him when he went into the village; said he had something to show him.<p>

While his dad was gone on his mission, Mary had been drilling him on differing scenarios, asking him what his best move would be. He almost always got them wrong, and they hurt his head to think about. What's worse is that Sammy got them right more than he did. But now that Dad was back, he could get back to earthbending.

They walked into an open field with a large stone slab in the center. Dean recognized it, though had never really paid any attention to it.

"Do you know what that is?" John asked him.

"No, sir."

"The names engraved on this stone are heroes in our village." Dean's eyes widened; his father did not give out praise unless it was deserved. A moment of silence passed before John spoke again. "All these shinobi were killed performing a mission. They died protecting our nation. That is something that should never be forgotten." The awe and excitement Dean felt earlier gradually turned into a morose seriousness. "Dean, you're approaching the age where you will graduate from the Academy, and before you know it you'll be sent out on missions. Remember this: there is no such thing as an unimportant mission. Every mission is a life-risking assignment, even the ones that are D-rank."

John allowed a moment to let his words sink in to his son. "When a shinobi is killed on a mission, his armband is returned to his family and his name is inscribed on this stone." Dean looked up to his father's armband, worn around his left arm below the shoulder. It was made of stone, so only an earthbender could wear it, and had the Earth Nation insignia engraved on it. Every Earth shinobi was given one when they graduated from the Academy, as proof of their shinobi status. Dean had asked John before if he could try on his armband, but his dad refused and said it was something that had to be earned. "Do you know why I am telling this to you?"

Dean thought about it, then shook his head. "No, sir."

"I want you to understand what it truly means to be a shinobi. It is not an easy life, Dean. It is full of hardship; death will follow you wherever you go. The Four Nations are divided; the minute you put on a shinobi armband, you have more enemies than you can count, even though you've never met them and they've never met you. I've seen the names of my comrades inscribed on this stone more than I'd like to say. Never take your duties as a shinobi lightly."

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><p><em><strong>Thanks so much for reading! Please tell me what you're thinking!<br>**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hey guys, I know the past here isn't all that eventful, but bear with me now, I wrote it for a reason. Anyways, this is the last chapter in the past for now; next chapter I'll be continuing what happened in the prologue.**_

Dean waited outside the store while his father was inside, buying feed for the animals. He was twirling a kunai knife in his hands when Bela Talbot approached him. Bela was Dean's age and always seemed to find a way to annoy him whenever they ran into each other.

"What do you want?" Dean asked, none too kindly.

Bela smiled that annoying, stupid smile of hers. "Nothing. Just bored."

"Well go away, no one wants you here."

"You can't tell me what to do. I'll stand here if I want,' she sniffed.

Dean threw her a dirty look. "Fine. Then don't talk to me."

Bela put on what Dean knew was a fake pout. "That's not any fun." When Dean ignored her, the pout dropped from her face and was replaced with impatience. "Whatcha got there?" she asked, snatching the kunai away from him.

"Bela give it back!"

"I thought you were ignoring me," she sneered, inspecting the knife.

Dean gritted his teeth in anger. He pushed Bela to the ground and took the kunai back. Bela glowered at him from the ground. A mischievous smile crossed her face before she suddenly broke out in tears. Dean took a step back, caught off guard by the sudden outburst. Before he knew it Bela's mom and his dad were there.

"Dean Winchester." Dean gulped at the tone his father used; he was in trouble. He walked slowly over to his father, dreading every step.

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><p>John heard the sound of a child crying and looked out the store to see Dean standing over Talbot's girl. He quickly made his way outside and, looking upon the scene, demanded his son tell him what happened.<p>

"She started it! I was just standing there and she took my knife from me!"

John sighed, still angry. "Come over here." He led them over to a bench where they sat.

"Dean, you know what you did was wrong, right?"

Dean refused to meet his gaze. "But why? She was the one who started it." His eyes quickly darted up to his father. Seeing the look on his face, he must have realized he was still in hot water and added a "sir" on to the end of his sentence.

John sighed. "You never hit a girl, Dean. You should respect women."

"But they can't even fight! Only men can become shinobi, shouldn't they respect us?"

"It's shameful to hit someone who can't fight back. A man who hits a woman is a coward."

Dean eyes widened and regret crossed his face. John could see the threat of tears forming. "But..." Tears started to trickle down his face.

"Stop crying Dean. Shinobi don't cry. Women do a lot for this village. When you get hurt who takes care of you?"

"Mom," he sniffled.

"Thats right. And she'll continue to do that until you find a wife of your own someday."

John had to repress his smile when Dean's face scrunched at the mention of a wife.

"I don't want to get married to some _girl_," he pouted, clearly still bitter about what happened.

"You won't think that forever." John paused, wondering how to handle the situation. "Without women, nothing good would come of men. You'll understand when you're older."

Dean seemed to think about his fathers words. Wiping his face with his sleeve to dry his tears, he mumbled, "Yes, sir." A moment passed before Dean looked up to him again. "Is that why you let Mom boss you around?"

John's face fell with indignation, though only for a second. He chuckled as he realized the truth behind the words. "Yeah, I suppose it is. Your mother is a strong woman. I don't need to tell you how scary she can be when she's angry." Dean and John shared a grin. "Now you know you have to go apologize to Bela."

"What?" his son squeaked. "But I don't want to!"

"A shinobi doesn't do what he wants to, a shinobi does what he has to. Now go apologize."

Dean's face scrunched in discontent, but he hung his head and said, "Yes, sir." John watched as he jumped down off the bench and approached Bella and her mother.

* * *

><p>"Another mission? So soon?" Mary asked her husband as he changed into his mission clothes.<p>

The clothes that shinobi wore on missions were all black. He wore a black military flak jacket with a spandex shirt and mask underneath, with only a small horizontal opening for the eyes. John currently had his mask off, allowing it to bunch around his neck like a hood. Strapped to his forearms were black metal arm guards. His loose fitting pants were tucked into his boots, and he had a small pouch strapped to the side of his right leg.

"An emergency came up. I have to leave right away." He said, strapping his ninjatō on his back.

"John, you promised Sam his first lesson today."

"Mary, I'm sorry, but I can't. I'll have to do it when I get back." John picked up his backpack for travel and quickly made his way out the door.

"John, wait!" Mary called before he could leave the room. She looked at him with worry, disliking the suddenness of this mission. John's eyes softened as he looked at his wife.

He walked back and sat next to Mary on their bed. "Air Nation shinobi were spotted crossing the Earth Nation border. We're just going to intercept them." He leaned in to give her a kiss goodbye. "I love you."

"I love you too," Mary whispered back, defeated. She knew that John didn't have an option in this. "Aren't you at least going to say goodbye to the boys?"

"I don't have any time to track them down. We were ordered to leave immediately. I'll be back soon though, alright?"

Mary nodded her head. "Just be careful."

John smiled at her and got up to leave. "I always am."

John began walking to the rendezvous spot at the village gates when he heard someone shout,"Dad!" He turned around to see Dean running toward him. Seeing him wearing the clothes for a mission, Dean's face fell.

"You're... leaving again?"

"I received an urgent mission from the Tsuchikage. I won't be gone long." The Tsuchikage was the leader of their village. The position was held only by the strongest of shinobi.

"But... Can't you stay?"

John looked to his son and laughed. He took a knee in front of him, so he was eye level with him.

"Dean, why do I teach you earthbending?"

"So I can become strong and protect the family."

"That's right. And why should you become a shinobi?"

"I..." John watched as Dean thought about it. "It's not the same?"

"You become a shinobi to protect the village and the nation that protects your family. That is your duty. Now while I'm gone, you're the man of the house. It's your job to take care of your mom and your brother. I'm counting on you."

Dean swelled with pride over the responsibility. "Yes sir!"

John smiled and placed a hand on Dean's head, rustling his hair. Noticing his comrades for the mission, dressed in the same attire as him, standing behind him, he got up and walked out of the village with them. As they began running toward the border, John thought of the look on his wife's face as he left. He felt bad for leaving so suddenly, especially because he just got home from a previous mission just days ago. Mary didn't usually allow him to see her worry. He would have to make it up to her when he returned. Truth was, he was just as reluctant to leave. He knew their village was safe, but there was always a small part of him that worried for his family's safety. Though he liked to be with them to ensure their safety, he knew the missions he completed was the best thing he could do to keep them, and his village, safe.

* * *

><p>Dean looked up to the dark clouds as a clap of thunder rang through the sky. The rain came immediately afterward, the sudden downpour drenching his hair and his clothes. He shivered as a harsh gust of wind passed. He debated continuing his training, but as another thunderclap rang above his head, a bad feeling ran through him and changed his mind. Something wasn't right. He grabbed his shoes, not bothering to slip them back on, and began to run back home. While Dad was out it was his job to protect their house.<p>

He could see his house in the distance when he noticed two men dressed in black approaching his house. The uneasy feeling grew, so he ran faster, desperately trying to reach the house. When they knocked on the door, Mary answered, wearing the same beautiful smile as always. The smile dropped in an instant when the two men handed a box over to her. Dean quickened his pace, not trusting the men who would show up to their house in this storm. Mary opened the chest, and with a shaking hand pulled out an Earth shinobi armband.

Dean froze in his tracks. The chest that was in his mother's hand slipped from her fingers. Dean didn't hear it crash to the ground over the roar of another thunderclap from above. Mary dropped limp to her knees just as the last echo of the thunder reverberated through the sky.

"_When a shinobi is killed on a mission, his armband is returned to his family and his name is inscribed on this stone."_

The agonized scream that came after would haunt him forever.

His body went numb. He stood frozen to the spot, oblivious to the rain beating down on his head; oblivious of the shoes that dropped from his hand; oblivious to everything... Everything but the shinobi armband clutched in his mothers shaking hand, and the growing pain in his chest.

It... Couldn't be... There had to be some mistake... His father couldn't be...

...

* * *

><p>Mary set down the sandwich on the table for Sammy to eat. It was a day after the funeral, the agony of losing her husband still fresh. Sammy wordlessly took the food and bit a small piece of it off. Of her two boys, Dean was the one she was most concerned about.<p>

The night she received the news of her husband, they had found Dean just a couple yards away from the house. He was standing there, frozen in the rain. He made no signs of recognition when the two men approached him, only stood there dazed. Even when one of them carried him into the house he offered no resistance, just remained lifeless in his hands. Later that night, Mary heard him crying in his room. Mary hadn't been able to sleep herself, but forced herself to pull it together for the sake of her boys. An inkling of relief passed through her when she heard it, it meant Dean awoke from his state of shock. However, there was a sharp pain that ran through her at her son's misery. The sounds of his crying reminded her of her own pain, and she couldn't suppress it any longer. She cried for what seemed like ages that night, keeping it as quiet as she could so no one would hear her.

But Dean did not cry after that. Not even yesterday at John's funeral. Since that night, Dean has been spending all his time up in the mountains, training.

"Sammy you finish you're sandwich, okay sweetie? I'll be back soon, I'm going to get your brother so he can have lunch with us."

With a scream of rage he threw the boulder at the side of the cliff. As the dust settled from the collision, Dean fell to his hands and knees. Tears streamed openly down his face as he dug his fingers into the ground. He hung his head and cried. He never knew it was possible to feel this much pain, this much emptiness inside. He didn't know how long he was in this position before a gentle hand was placed on his back. He whipped his head around wildly.

"Dean," his mother said softly to him. At the sight of his mother Dean sat back on his knees and did his best to wipe his face dry to hide the tears that so desperately wanted to escape. Mary knelt to the ground and gently pulled her son into a tight hug. "It's okay Dean, you can cry."

Despite his best efforts, a few tears leaked from Dean's eyes. "I'm not crying!" he yelled past the lump in his throat, "Shinobi don't cry! I'm not..." he couldn't finish his sentence as the lump swelled.

"Dean... It's okay... I'm here."

With that the dam broke. He leaned into his mother and cried, the force of the sobs violently wracking his body. Once he started again it seemed as if it was impossible to stop. The pain in his chest was unbearable, and it never got better. No matter what he did, no matter how hard or how long he cried, it didn't go away.

Never again. Never again would he allow anyone to ever make him feel this way. He would protect his family no matter what the cost. Just to never have to feel this way again...

"_You become a shinobi to protect the village and the nation that protects your family. That is your duty. Now while I'm gone, you're the man of the house. It's your job to take care of your mom and your brother. I'm counting on you."_

His father's last words to him rang through his head.

"_It's your job to take care of your mom and your brother. I'm counting on you."_

* * *

><p><em> <strong>Please review!<strong>_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you firegods7 and MDarKspIrIt for the reviews! Well now we're back up to present time, so enjoy =)**_

* * *

><p>Four men stood in the forest, looking upon the Air shinobi village before them.<p>

Dean looked over to his brother, who sat against a tree, writing in his journal like always.

"Sam quit writing in your diary and get ready. Sun's setting, we'll be heading out soon."

"Not a diary," Sam mumbled, but tucked it away in his backpack anyway. Dean then turned to his other comrades on this mission, Gordon and Andy.

"So do we all know the plan? Once we get into the village, me and Gordon will slip into their Intel base and destroy the stolen security scroll. Sammy and Andy, you'll be keeping a lookout for us and taking out anyone who sees us."

"We're all fully capable of remembering our mission." Gordon sneered. Of all his comrades on the mission, scratch that, off all his comrades in the village, Gordon was perhaps the one Dean liked the least. But he didn't get to choose his team, and a mission was a mission. He would never complain.

"I hate to say it, but Gordon's right Dean," Andy piped in. "You need to relax a bit, you look a little wound up."

Andy quickly closed his mouth when Dean sent a glare at him. "Why don't you just worry about yourself?"

"Stop being such a woman and tell us the activity level of the village." Gordon commented.

"Why don't you do it?" he snapped, rising to the bait.

"Dean," Sam said lazily, telling his brother to cool it. He knew why Dean was so tense right now.

Dean was the only one in the group who was able to distinguish the vibrations in the earth. All earthbenders had this potential, yet it was rare to find one who could actually do it. If it wasn't picked up at an early age, it was near impossible to learn.

Dean sent a glare at his brother as well, but seemed to calm down a little. Grumbling he removed the boots from his feet and closed his eyes, concentrating on the vibrations of the earth. The farther away something was, the harder it was to pick up the signals.

"There's too many people walking around now."

"The sun hasn't set completely yet," said Sam. "People are probably finishing up their day's work now." He returned his focus to Dean. "Tell us when the traffic slows."

Dean grunted in agreement.

Sam looked into the distance at the village. "If we don't complete this mission quick we might not make it out alive."

"You all worry too much," Andy commented, brushing off what Sam had said. "It'll be fine."

* * *

><p>A ripple of vibrations in the earth alerted Dean. "Behind us!" he yelled to Sam. He would have noticed them sooner were it not for the confines of his boots, dulling the signals.<p>

Just in time, his brother rose a wall of earth from the ground to catch the incoming weapons.

"Dean?" Sam questioned frantically.

"There's eight of them and they have us surrounded!" Dean swore under his breath. He pulled his arm away from Sam, and got into a fighting stance.

"Dean, you can't fight in your condition!"

"The hell I can't."

Sam hesitated, but after a quick assessment of their situation, he realized Dean was right. If Dean didn't join the fight he'd have to take down eight Air shinobi by himself... He turned so he was back to back with his brother and entered into his fighting stance. He didn't have to wait long before another wave of attacks were sent at them.

* * *

><p>Castiel arrived to the scene to see two of his comrades already taken down by the earthbenders. Whether they were dead or unconscious he didn't know. Landing on the branch of a tree, he looked down to the Earth shinobi with a growing sense of awe. The two benders moved as one. All their actions were in sync, as if they could read each others thoughts. It was quite the spectacle. But as a third comrade was taken down, he decided enough was enough.<p>

Pulling a kunai from his leg pouch, he threw it at the closest of the Earth shinobi, the taller one. Throwing blades in the hands of an Air shinobi were lethal. Because they're able to push the air behind the weapon, it's able to reach lightning-fast speeds, making it extremely hard to dodge. Surprise was once again on his side, and he hit directly where he was aiming; the earthbenders upper leg. He screamed out in what Castiel guessed was both surprise and pain. As expected, one of his Air shinobi used the opportunity to make a move, sending a powerful blow to the same leg, undoubtedly breaking it.

_That takes care of one of them_, he thought as the man dropped to the ground, unable to support himself. Castiel jumped down to the clearing. "Stop."

His shinobi sprang back, forming a wide circle around the intruders. He walked inside the circle, aware of the glare he was receiving from the enemy. "You are surrounded and injured. Surrender."

The earthbender looked at him with hard eyes. "Over my dead body," he spat out.

"Thatcan be arranged. But I would prefer it didn't."

There was such hatred in this man's glare. Castiel supposed he did kill two of his comrades tonight... But this man killed ten Air shinobi, maybe more. That was the life of a shinobi, he must know that. No, there was no grief in his eyes. Castiel pushed the thought back and analyzed his enemy. The one on the ground was clutching his leg and his breathing was ragged. Earthbenders relied heavily on their stance to gain their power; if this one couldn't stand he wasn't much of a threat. He had to be careful though, he could still earthbend. The other was now standing defensively in front of the taller one. It seemed as if he cared for this comrade more than the others. The way they fought together, there was no doubt they had a history. The shorter one's right arm hung limp. He saw him use it earlier, but he knew it was useless for the most part. His breathing came out in heavy pants; his energy levels were low. One more heavy blow and he should be fairly incapacitated.

"Will you surrender?" he asked once more.

Replying with a hard "No", the earthbender planted his leg and thrust his good hand forward, sending an attack at Castiel. With incredible speed, Castiel was easily able to dodge it. In one smooth motion, he swung his staff his to send a quick torrent of air at his opponent. He raised a shield from the earth, but the stream of air broke through. The attack hit him and sent him flying backwards, into a tree. He hit the ground with a loud thud and a grunt of pain.

"Stop," the other earthbender panted out, but Castiel ignored him for now.

Castiel walked passed the earthbender with the broken leg to finish the other off. Though before he could reach him, rock suddenly formed around his foot. He looked back to see the taller earthbender with his palm to the ground.

"I said don't," he grit out. Castiel outstretched his hand to send a wave of air at him. With the Earth shinobi's position and his speed, the earthbender wouldn't be able to block it. He then used his airbending to break the rock constraining him.

The Air shinobi continued over to the other intruder, who was slowly attempting to get to his feet. Gathering his strength, he sent a blow to the earthbenders head, hard enough to knock him out. The Earth shinobi slumped back to the ground. Castiel flipped him over with his foot, inspecting him to make sure he was unconscious.

He now turned to the conscious Earth shinobi. "Now will you surrender, or must I do the same thing twice?"

The earthbender glowered at him. His eyes flicked toward his comrade and then down to the ground. "I surrender."

Castiel nodded, satisfied. "Bring them back into the village."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Castiel made his way to Lisa Braeden's house where the earthbender who saved the child was being held.<p>

"Lisa, how is he doing?" Castiel questioned, entering the house.

"He is an earthbending brute and he doesn't belong in my home," she complained, dabbing the earthbenders head with a wet cloth. The Earth shinobi lay motionless on the bed, all clothes but his pants were stripped from him. Bandages covered the multiple wounds on his body.

"What are the extent of his injuries?"

"He has multiple burns, mostly on the back of his legs and arms. They're not deep, there shouldn't be any issues with those. He had an injury on his head from where you hit him, I put bandages on that, there should be no problem there. The worst of his wounds is his right arm, where the kunai hit. It was deep, I had to stitch that up. It will be difficult for him to use that arm for a while."

"What of that band below his shoulder? Shouldn't you remove it?"

"I would remove it but it's made of rock and formed to his arm. Only an earthbender could remove it without injuring him any further. It was over his clothes so I had to cut his shirt around it."

Continuing to dab his head with a wet cloth, she froze when he began to moan.

"Mom?" he moaned out weakly, eyes only halfway open. When she said nothing the earthbender continued. "Mom? Is Sammy okay?"

Her features softened. "Just get some rest." The earthbender groaned again but seemed to fall unconscious once more. Castiel doubted he even heard what Lisa had said.

She turned to Castiel. "Jesus, how hard did you hit him?"

"Hard enough." Castiel took a moment to study his captive. He had a strong body, like most earthbenders, hard like a rock. His feet are what caught Castiel's attention, however. He bent to examine them, reaching out to one of them and touching it. "Why are his feet so calloused?" he asked with interest.

"How am I supposed to know?" she replied angrily. "He probably runs around without shoes on, like a mindless ape." A moment passed as Castiel curiously inspected Dean's feet, as if they were one of the world's greatest mysteries. "Castiel?" He looked up to see apprehension on Lisa's face. "Have I dishonored you in any way? Why did you choose my house to hold this..._barbarian _in?"

"Lisa, I chose you because you are a skilled healer. I need him alive. Not only that but you have room to spare."

"There are others with room to spare!"

"Lisa." Castiel reprimanded sternly. She silenced herself yet there was still a fire in her eyes. "Your husband died many years ago. Would you rather I house him in another's home? One who's husband has just recently died at the hand of his people?"

"What of Carla's house-"

"Carla is housing the other and does not have any more room."

Lisa lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Castiel. I did not consider... I acted shamefully. It will not happen again."

Castiel inclined his head and gave a stern nod.

"If I may ask... What is he doing here? Why are we keeping him alive?"

"I have my reasons."

"...Yes... Of course," she replied, downtrodden that Castiel was keeping her in the dark.

* * *

><p>Dean felt his brow being dabbed with cool water. He was filled with relief... Why was that?... What happened?... Why did his head hurt so much?...<p>

...

He remembered... He was in a fight... with... Who was he in a fight with?...

...

... Airbenders... He was on a mission... He must have made it home... His wounds were being cared for... there's only one person it could be... Mom...

...

But what about Sammy?... What happened to him?... Was he alright?... God his head hurt... Everywhere... Everywhere seemed to hurt...

...

He hoped Sam was okay...

...

Dean groggily opened his eyes. There was a woman standing over him, checking the bandages on...his arm. His arm hurt like hell. And who was this woman? She wasn't... "Who're you?" Talking...hurt his head.

"My name is Lisa Braeden. You should get some more rest."

Lisa... What? He didn't know any Lisa's...

"Where... Where am I?"

"You're in the Air Nation."

"The..." Dean took a second to process this. "Air Nation?" He jerked awake. Sitting up on the bed he frantically took in his surroundings. In the back of his mind he registered the woman saying something to him about getting more rest. Panic overtook him as he hopped off the bed. A second later he crashed to the floor with a grunt of pain, it was as if every muscle in his body was spent. He first tried to pick himself up with his right arm, but winced when pain shot through it with movement. He clumsily pushed himself up with his left arm, leaning heavily on a table nearby. His legs shook slightly from the effort of holding himself up.

Attempting to help him back on the bed, Lisa said, "Hey, you're not ready to get up yet-"

"You stay the hell away from me," Dean demanded harshly. His mind was ruled by panic now. He was in the Air Nation, injured... And Sam! What did these bastards do to Sam? He had to get out of here, he had to find his brother. He stumbled out of the room, the woman yelling after him. Spotting a door that led outside, he staggered over to it. Half way there he fell to his knees, exhausted. Black spots danced across his vision, threatening to take over. His head was pounding, his arm was screaming at him, every muscle in his body ached. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing himself to continue. A hand lightly touched his back, to which he violently jerked away from. "I said back off!"

He pushed himself to his feet, feeling the rush in his head as he stood too quickly. He made it about two more steps before the ground came up to greet him. He vaguely remembered a person walking through the door before his vision faded and he was lost to the world.

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><p><em><strong>Reviews are appreciated =)<strong>_


	5. Chapter 5

Castiel walked into the door only to have Dean topple over in front of him.

"Lisa, what happened?"

"He found out he was still in the Air Nation and just lost it. Tried to escape out the front door before he fainted. You were right, he is exhausted... What did he do to drain that much energy?"

He shrugged. "He was already to the point of exhaustion when we met in the forest." Calling out the names of the two Anbu agents, they appeared before him. "Please return him to the bed in the other room."

They watched as the earthbender was carried back to the room. "Kazekage."

Castiel shifted his gaze to Lisa, who was biting her lip nervously.

"I hate to ask you again Kazekage... But are you sure this is the best house for him? You must understand I'm concerned for my son..."

"He will not harm your son." Castiel's mind flashed back to the earthbender saving the child from the paper bomb. Though he felt certain of this, he posted two Anbu agents to watch the outsider. If the need ever arose, they would interfere. Though he would never tell Lisa, her son was the reason he chose Lisa's house to hold the Earth shinobi. The child would serve as a means to keep the earthbender in check. "I will keep close watch on him, and if it seems he is too dangerous for this house I will move him. Does that sound agreeable?"

Lisa slumped her shoulders but nodded.

* * *

><p>Castiel sat in his office, examining the bags of the two Earth shinobi on his desk. Each had the standard materials for a mission; small medic kit, portions of food, spare kunai knives, rope, etc. In one bag he found an excess amount of extra weapons; he found the stone dagger most interesting. Stone usually wasn't a medium to make a blade from, but in the hands of an earthbender he suppose it made sense. If he had to guess, which he did, he would say this bag belonged to the shinobi at Lisa's house. Castiel remembered when the earthbender was first brought to Lisa's house; when he was stripped of his clothes to be healed, they found a hidden weapon just about everywhere. He also had an identical stone dagger strapped to his leg. He was clearly skilled in the art of combat.<p>

He switched his attentions to the other bag. Digging further into it, he found maps. Of course shinobi villages could not be found formally on any maps, but there was a drawn in circle around the area his village was found. He set the map aside; it was nothing interesting. The next item he found piqued his interest. It was a journal. His excitement was lost, however, when he attempted to read it. It made absolutely no sense. He would have to get one of his intel shinobi to decipher the code. If it was written in code it was clearly something worth hiding. Though gathering Earth Nation secrets was not his purpose for keeping his captives, it would be irresponsible of him as Kazekage not to look into what he can.

A crash outside tore his attention from the journal. It came from the direction of Lisa's house. He immediately grabbed his staff from beside him and sent an air current through it, causing the sides to fold out to reveal the fans. Every Air shinobi was given a glider once graduated from the Academy. He quickly walked out onto the balcony and took off, hoping the earthbender had the good sense not to do anything foolish.

When he arrived the earthbender was at battle with the two Anbu agents assigned to him. Castiel was briefly impressed that he was taking on two of his shinobi injured; however, defense was a prominent skill among most earthbenders. His agents had to mind the village as well, shielding the people and the buildings from the Earth shinobi's attacks. He turned to one of his shinobi beside him. "Get the other earthbender and bring him here. Quickly."

"Stop," Castiel called out to both his agents and the earthbender. A sense of deja vu hit him, as this was the second fight he diffused for the Earth shinobi. The earthbender cast suspicious eyes to the source that called back the agents and a look of recognition struck. Rage emanated from him as he sent a quick attack at Castiel. But it wasn't nearly quick enough. With a swift swing of his staff, the boulder was sent directly back at the earthbender with a blast of air. "I said enough. On your knees."

"Make me."

Castiel raised his eyebrows at the arrogant and somewhat childish challenge. "Very well." He directed his attention to the side, where the other earthbender was being dragged to the area, arms bound behind his back. As soon as they were next to Castiel, a blade was whipped out and raised to the earthbender's neck.

The Earth shinobi with the arm injury turned his entire focus to his comrade. It was just as Castiel had thought; the two were close.

"I'm waiting, earthbender."

The earthbender growled, clearly torn between being stubborn and the safety of his comrade.

"De-" the earthbender with the injured leg began but was quickly cut off.

"Hey!" the surrounded Earth shinobi barked, clearly a warning.

Castiel frowned as the other bit his tongue. Seeing them interact, the earthbender with the shorter hair was clearly superior. Castiel had thought they were of equal ranking, which is why they could fight so effortlessly together.

Castiel watched as indecision flicked across the earthbenders face. A grunt from his comrade from being held in the position for so long seemed to make up his mind. He knelt to the ground and raised his hands. His right hand shook from the strain of lifting his arm with his injury. As soon as his hands were bound behind his back, the taller earthbender was released and fell to the ground, his bad leg unable to support him. The shorter began to rise as if to help his fellow earthbender, but a firm hand on his shoulder reminded him of his place. Castiel wondered if he should have used the opportunity to get more information out of the earthbender, but his regret was short-lived. He wanted the earthbender to tell him of his own free will.

"Take him back to the medic," Castiel commanded, nodding at the taller one.

A look of helplessness overcame his captive when the other was carried back into a building. "If you hurt him I swear-"

"Neither you nor your companion will be harmed as long as you show us the same courtesy. Now can I trust you not to act in violence?" When he received only a glare in return, he returned to threats. "It would be better for the health of your companion if you agreed." At that the earthbender growled out an agreement and the hand on his shoulder was removed. He slowly got up, glaring at everyone in his line of vision.

"What do you want from us?"

Lips curling into a smile, Castiel said, "Come, take a walk with me." The earthbender gave a twitch of annoyance at his question being ignored and grudgingly followed. When two of his warriors began following him he turned and dismissed them. Their eyes flashed toward Dean and they began forming their objections. Castiel raised his hand and their objections ceased.

"I will be fine. He would not dare harm me when we have his fellow earthbender at our mercy. Would you?" he finished, turning to Dean. His meaning was clear enough. He hoped he had judged the two earthbenders relationship well enough that he was correct. Dean gave a nod, his hatred almost palpable. As they walked through the village, Castiel remained silent, watching as Dean eyed his surroundings. Castiel was not worried about him seeing his village; it was a village like any other. The earthbender would be able to gleam no Air Nation secrets.

Walking through the village, the Earth shinobi seemed to hold such contempt for the village and its people. Furrowing his brows, Castiel wondered if strong hatred of other nations was taught in the Earth Nation or if it was personal. They passed through the main street, the people of his village peeking out to see the Earth shinobi. When they reached the outskirts of the village, Castiel stopped and turned to inspect the earthbender. He seemed to realize he was being scrutinized and raised his chin.

The earthbender soon grew impatient when Castiel said nothing.

"Just do it."

"Excuse me?"

"Get on with it. If you're going to torture us for information just do it, don't heal us first you sick bastard."

"You are certainly eager to put yourself in harms way."

"Cut the bullshit."

Castiel smiled. "What is your name earthbender?"

"What's yours?" he countered.

Castiel paused. "You're right. I have been discourteous. When asking someones name you always tell them yours first. I am Kazekage Castiel, leader of this village. And you are?"

The Earth shinobi's eyes widened at learning his title, though his old demeanor quickly returned. "Pissed off. Why am I here?"

"Because I did not want to talk in the village, where others could overhear."

With a growl of frustration, Dean stomped his foot to the ground, sending a boulder into the air.

"Calm yourself earthbender."

"How about you give me some straight answers you son of a bitch," he demanded.

Castiel turned to face the soldier. "My people are not accustom to seeing levitating rocks."

"What?"

"My people are not accustomed to see levitating rocks. I suggest you lower the stone before my guards think you are attacking me."

After a moments deliberation, the boulder crashed back into the earth.

The earthbender let out a breath and appeared to attempt to swallow some of his anger. "Whatever you want... I'll give it to you. Just let," he hesitated, "let the other earthbender go."

Interesting. "Hmmm... No, I don't think I will." Castiel raised an eyebrow as he felt a small tremor in the earth.

"Why?" he asked with a contained rage. For some reason, his attempts to control his anger amused Castiel.

"You demand many questions from me, yet you will not answer mine."

They stood in silence while the earthbender deliberated.

"I'm not anybody important. You'll gain nothing by holding me hostage or learning my name."

"I would like to hear it all the same."

The earthbender stared at him, as if he could decipher his motives if he stared hard enough. "Dean. Dean Winchester."

Castiel considered this new information. "And your companion. What name does he go by?"

Again, Dean seemed to weigh each word carefully. "Sam."

"Sam...?" When Dean made no move to finish the name, Castiel moved on. At this point he considered himself fortunate to get a second name without the hassle of the first.

"How long have you known Sam?"

"Who wants to know?"

Castiel sighed at his defensiveness. "I am merely curious. The way you two fought together was quite the spectacle."

"Just met him a week ago."

Castiel turned to look at his captive. "I do not like lies, Dean Winchester."

"Well I don't like airbenders; I guess we'll both have to deal."

Castiel inclined his head. "Yes, I suppose we will." Blood running down his captive's, arm caught his attention. He took a step forward and outstretched his hand in attempts to check the wound, but Dean jerked back, narrowing his eyes. Castiel pulled back his hand. "It appears you've opened your stitches. How does your arm feel?"

Dean looked at him bewildered. "It's... I want to see Sam."

"And your burns? Are they healing alright?"

"I want to see Sam."

"I cannot allow that right now."

"Why the hell not?" he snapped.

"I don't trust your temper."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Who's to say you won't have a violent response to seeing your comrade with his injuries?"

Dean's jaw tightened. "I won't."

"Then swear it to me. On the life of your comrade."

Dean gritted his teeth. "Fine."

"I urge you to understand that any mishaps caused by you will be dealt with swiftly and severely."

"Yeah, whatever, let me see him."

"I have another condition." The earthbender's eyes narrowed. "You will come to my office, once every other day, to have a conversation with me."

Disbelief crossed Dean's face. "A conversation. You're joking, right?"

"I do not joke. Do you accept?"

The Earth shinobi looked at him with growing contempt. "Fine," he eventually grit out.

Castiel nodded, satisfied. "Then the village is yours to explore. Though I leave you with this warning: harm any member of my village and I will personally see to it that it is returned to you tenfold."

"Wait, aren't you going to take me to Sam?" Castiel didn't miss the hint of desperation in his voice.

"Tomorrow, after our conversation, I will take you to your comrade. Until then you are prohibited from trying to find him. Any contact you try to make will be forcefully stopped."

"You son of a bitch, you said-"

"I don't think you quite understand your predicament here. You should be thanking me that you still have a comrade to visit. Give me one reason to end his life and I will not hesitate. I trust you remember your way back to Lisa's house; I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Good evening."


End file.
